Virtually 55 years after Franco Zeffirelli Oscar-nominated adaptation of Romeo & Juliet got here out, the then-young stars of the movie are actually suing Paramount Footage for greater than $100 million for alleged sexual abuse, negligence and extra.
“Defendants had been dishonest and secretly filmed the nude or partially nude minor kids with out their information, in violation of the state and federal legal guidelines regulating mentioned youngster sexual abuse and exploitation,” the submitting from Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting states. “Plaintiffs have suffered and can proceed to endure bodily ache and psychological ache together with excessive and extreme psychological anguish and emotional misery,” the swimsuit (learn it right here) over the Finest Image Oscar-nominated film primarily based on William Shakespeare’s basic doomed lovers story goes on to say.
In a Shakespearean drama of their very own and estimating the studio has remodeled $500 million off the Zeffirelli adaptation, Hussey and Whiting are in search of punitive and exemplary damages of greater than $100 million. With Encino CA-based legal professional Solomon Gresen dealing with their case, the duo can be taking a look at “compensatory, financial and non-economic damages based on proof, together with disgorgements of the financial profit to Paramount.”
Seemingly complicated a December 1967 date for 1968, the yr the movie was launched, the December 30, 2022 submitting particulars:
On the time of filming, Mr. Whiting (Romeo) was a minor youngster aged 16 years and Ms. Hussey was additionally a minor youngster aged 15 years. Plaintiffs had been advised by Mr. Zeffirelli that there could be no nudity filmed or exhibited and that Plaintiffs could be carrying flesh coloured undergarments through the bed room/love scene. Nonetheless, on the morning of the shoot of the bed room scene within the second week of December 1968, the final days of images the minor kids Plaintiffs got physique make-up and had been advised by Mr. Zeffirelli that they need to act within the nude or the Image would fail. Hundreds of thousands had been invested. They might by no means work once more in any occupation, not to mention Hollywood. Zeffirelli confirmed them had been the cameras could be set in order that no nudity could be filmed or photographed to be used in Romeo & Juliet or wherever else. Plaintiffs believed that they had no option to act within the nude with physique make-up as demanded on the final days of filming.
Paramount didn’t reply to request for remark from Deadline on the seven-claim swimsuit.
The topic of sexual harassment and sexual assault claims previously, Zeffirelli died in 2019 and therefore just isn’t a defendant on this motion.
Inflicting a stir on the time for the nudity within the movie, Romeo & Juliet was a field workplace smash when it got here out in March 1968. Nominated for 4 Academy Awards together with Finest Image and Finest Director, the movie took house trophies for Finest Cinematography and Costume Design. Each Whiting and Hussey gained Golden Globes for his or her performances.
As just lately as 2018, Hussey has spoken concerning the want for the nudity within the movie. Within the midst of publicity for her then-just revealed memoir, she advised Fox Information that the nudity “wasn’t that large of a deal.” The Jesus of Nazareth veteran additionally famous in one other interview that very same yr that although she and Whiting had been younger, they had been each theatre vets and “we had been very conscious.”
Clearly, she and Whiting take a distinct perspective on the difficulty now.
“It has taken nice braveness for each Olivia and Leonard to deal with the sexploitation/sexualization (of minors) that occurred then, and sadly continues to permeate our society right now,” the duo’s supervisor Tony Marinozzi advised Deadline right now of the swimsuit. “The #MeToo motion and different comparable assist teams have supplied a platform for Olivia and Leonard to lastly maintain these accountable relating to these abuses.”
Marinozzi has been 71-year-old Hussey’s supervisor since October 2020, and has been working with now 72-year-old Whiting since February 2022.
The timing of the submitting late final week in Los Angeles Superior Court docket got here mere hours earlier than the December 31 expiration of the practically three-year extension of California’s lifting of the statute of limitations for claims of sexual abuse towards kids.
